34°10′51″N118°18′32″W / 34.1808°N 118.3090°W /34.1808; -118.3090
| Monsterpalooza | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Horror, Multi-genre |
| Location(s) | Los Angeles, California |
| Country | United States |
| Website | http://www.monsterpalooza.com/ |
Monsterpalooza is an Americanmultigenre convention focusing onhorror,creatures andmakeup work. The convention takes place every spring inLos Angeles, California, most recently in thePasadena Convention Center. A smaller offshoot convention, "Son of Monsterpalooza" is held inBurbank in the fall.
After a successful trial run in New Jersey in 2008, Monsterpalooza was organized on the West Coast by Eliot Brodsky in 2009, and held at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center.[1] It has been held annually since then, and usually takes place in March, April or May. The spring event moved fromBurbank to thePasadena Convention Center in 2016, and became the venue's most attended event.[2] A smaller offshoot convention, "Son of Monsterpalooza" is still held in Burbank in September.[3]
Convention programming includespresentations,panels, andworkshops. The spring Monsterpalooza event features a museum which displays screen-used props, masks, life-size figures and movie creatures from participating Hollywood FX studios and artists.[4] Workshops focus on the craft; makeup demonstrations and creature effects. The emphasis is on classic horror, including characters fromB movies of Hollywood'sGolden Age and modern horror, science fiction and fantasy films.[5] Panels have included behind the scenes looks at films such asThe Shape of Water,The Predator,Godzilla: King of the Monsters,Alien Romulus,Terrifier, as well as attractions such asHalloween Horror Nights and more.
Over the years, Monsterpalooza has hosted several famous actors and industry personalities, includingRobert Englund,Bruce Campbell,Ozzy Osbourne,Neve Campbell,Matthew Lillard,Skeet Ulrich,Giancarlo Esposito,Cassandra Peterson,Michael Dougherty,Kane Hodder,Jennifer Tilly,George A. Romero,Martin Landau,James Remar,Sonny Chiba, andLinda Blair.
Monsterpalooza draws tens of thousands of attendees and is also visited by various horror celebrities and others from the film industry. DirectorGuillermo del Toro said on his Twitter that Monsterpalooza is "the monster convention I dreamt could be possible as a kid".[6] DirectorJ. J. Abrams said in an article with CNN's Marquee Blog that Monsterpalooza "is a total blast".[7] Brian Collins fromBirth. Movies. Death. calls it the "best horror convention of all".[8]
Monsterpalooza was featured onJeopardy! as part of a question in September 2022.